A dozen thoughts as the Browns reconvene in Berea and brace themselves for an infusion of high drafts picks in a week. A "name" scout throws Josh Rosen a bone. Browns draft scorecard. The No. 205 picks you've actually heard of. More.
1, Drafting at No. 1 overall in consecutive years has been an Ohio thing ... and a running backs thing.
The Browns are in the process of adding a new No. 1 pick to last year's choice, Myles Garrett.
The previous instance of same-team, consecutive No. 1s was 1999 and 2000, when the Browns took quarterback Tim Couch and defensive end Courtney Brown.
The time before that was 1994-95, and the Bengals opted for defensive lineman Big Daddy Wilkinson and running back Ki-Jana Carter.
There were only two other cases of back-to-back No. 1s within the last 60 drafts.
One was 1986-87, when the Buccaneers took running back Bo Jackson and quarterback Vinny Testaverde. The other was 1976-77, when the Buccaneers (a start-up expansion team then) plucked defensive end Lee Roy Selmon and running back Ricky Bell.
The 2017-18 Browns are trying to be the first franchise to achieve sustained success on the backs of back-to-back No. 1s.
2, Former Browns scout Daniel Jeremiah issued his latest mock draft for NFL Network. His revised top five: Quarterback Sam Darnold to the Browns, running back Saquon Barkley to the Giants, QB Baker Mayfield to the Jets, defensive end Bradley Chubb to the Browns, QB Josh Allen to the Broncos.
Jeremiah's next five: Cornerback Denzel Ward to the Colts, guard Quenton Nelson to the Bucs, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to the Bears, linebacker Roquan Smith to the 49ers, safety-cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Raiders.
Fitzpatrick opinions are all over the place on Fitzpatrick. One analyst whose name you would recognize might go public in the next few days with his opinion that Fitzpatrick is the best overall player in the draft.
3, Ward, from Ohio State, is the consensus choice as the best pure cornerback available. Forecasting DBs is tricky business.
Plenty of people thought safety Malik Hooker would be a steal if the Browns could get him with their second first-round pick in 2017, at No. 12. Hooker was available, but the Browns passed, trading down on their way to Jabrill Peppers at 25.
Hooker, who went to the Colts at No. 15, blew out a knee in Game 7 against the Jaguars.
4, No matter how serious and thoughtful Josh Gordon can seem, I've quit assuming he'll make it back. I quit assuming in 2016, when Gordon seemed to have the perfect support guy in former Baylor teammate Robert Griffin III, but couldn't find a way through his issues.
It does appear there's a decent chance for 2018. For the first time in ages, Gordon is in the spring program without a suspension hanging over his head.
"I think that's one of the big stories," Hue Jackson said.
It will have to be a long story. Gordon has 18 catches since 2014 and much to prove. It is going on five years since he led the NFL with 1,646 receiving yards.
5, Gordon was never available for a regular draft. In a July workout shortly before the Browns picked him in Round 2 of the 2012 supplemental draft, he was measured at 6-foot-3 1/8, 224 pounds and ran a 4.52 40.
Official measurements aren't updated after players get to the NFL. Tyrod Taylor only knows Gordon is a big target.
"You're kind of amazed he can run as fast as he can at his size," Taylor said Tuesday.
6, Adding Chubb as the No. 4 overall pick would do more than give the Browns a one-two pass rushing punch along with 2017 No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett. Or so says Garrett,
"Before Emmanuel (Ogbah) got hurt, we had something pretty special," Garrett said. "If we get Chubb, hopefully all three of us would be on the field wreaking havoc."
Ogbah missed the last six games in 2017 with a foot injury. He is entering his third season since arriving as a No. 32 overall pick in 2016. Technically, it was a second-round pick — the 2016 first round included only 31 picks because the Patriots lost their choice as punishment for Deflategate.
This year, as usual, the first round includes 32 picks. They'll reconvene on April 27 with the Browns owning the No. 33 pick to open Round 2.
7, Which QB is Garrett pulling for to be the No. 1 pick.
"None," he said Tuesday. "I'm supposed to be hitting quarterbacks, not vouching for them."
Garrett barely got past 10 hits in more than 250 pass-rush snaps last year. He did get to seven sacks with one in each of the last two games.
Garrett rushed from the right side on all but a few 2017 snaps. That is likely to change if Chubb joins the team.
8, The Browns' draft scorecard, pending additional moves between now and next Thursday's Roger Goodell welcome are picks at 1, 4, 33, 35, 64, 114, 150, 175 and 188. The Browns traded picks 65, 101, 123, 138, 159, 205 and 219.
9, For grins, we set out to find a No. 205 overall pick anyone has heard of.
The last 10: Jeremiah Ledbetter, Harlan Miller, Josh Robinson, Luke Bowanko, Stacy McGee, Billy Winn, Lazarius Livingston, Ted Larsen, Ra'Shon Harris, Pierre Garcon.
Hey … found a couple.
Winn made it through three-plus seasons in Cleveland and was with the Broncos in 2017 before blowing out a knee. Garcon, from Mount Union, has racked up 7,568 NFL receiving yards and projects as a primary Jimmy Garoppolo target in San Francisco this year.
10, Wideout Jarvis Landry said Tuesday he has seen snow on the ground during his few trips to Ohio but never actually saw it falling in Cleveland before Tuesday.
"I love it," he said.
After signing a $75 million contract, he can afford a decent snowmobile.
11, Linebacker Christian Kirksey arrived as a fourth-round pick in 2014 and played in every game while the Browns built a 7-4 record. The team is 4-49 since then.
Kirksey said offseason pickups and draft buzz have helped the mood.
"You just feel a whole new swagger," he said. "I feel like this year is really going to be something special."
12, Hall of Fame voters tell us personnel guru Gil Brandt could make it to Canton in the contributors category. Brandt is still contributing long lists ranking draft prospects. His top five, posted this week: Saquon Barkley, Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Bradley Chubb.
Brandt calls Barkley "a great character person."
On Rosen: "I don't have ANY questions with regard to the chatter about his character. He'll be a successful NFL starter. I really like this player."
Reach Steve at 330-580-8347 or
steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com
On Twitter: @sdoerschukREP